To shave or not to shave? With these people there’s no question; the real decision is how to style years worth of facial hair growth into an exotic design that will turn heads and inspire friends to throw away their razors and give a beard or mustache a shot. Some people derive their identity from their facial hair, while others use it as a fashion statement, or groom it for competition. Regardless of the reasoning, unique facial hair designs are rare and interesting. Here are 10 of the most jaw dropping moustache and beard designs.

The large surface area of a person’s beard allows for intricate and voluminous designs not possible with moustache hair alone. Maintaining a shape requires braiding or heavy duty wax and sprays, but the increasing popularity of the World Beard and Moustache Championships helps motivate hesitant facial hair growers, and helps spur creative new designs.

While facial hair is not socially acceptable on females in Western Society, it’s always been acceptable in the circus. The bearded lady has been a freakshow staple for just as long as the strong man and the sword swallower. Some women push the boundaries of social norms to help broaden societal acceptance of women (and men) who don’t conform to gender stereotypes. Despite changes in public opinion, women with facial hair are still a surprising sight to most.

Moustache sculpting is often difficult because there’s less hair to work with, but mustache wearers are more than willing to tackle adversity and come up with stunning designs. The old fashioned wax moustache has evolved into something much more interesting and varied, as people push the limits of mustache sculpting.

Facial hair envy is a common condition, and people are endlessly creative in hiding their lack of hirsuteness. Fake mustaches aren’t just for Halloween anymore! Slap on some felt or clumps of animal hair, and you can be as cool as the most manly man (or woman). Watch as people stop and stare in wonderment and awe (and envy of their own)!

The smooth faced look has become so common, that unique facial hair can become a huge part of one’s identity. There are a slew of famous faces that would be nigh unrecognizable without their iconic styles. From the famous to the infamous, a large bushy beard, or a slim and lengthy moustache can make you memorable long after your time in the limelight.

When a moustache doesn’t have enough volume, why not involve your beard as well? It can give your mustache the muscle to really wow the crowd. When letting your beard hang low doesn’t fit with your sophisticated style, it’s time to whip out the styling gel and get shaping!

Tiers! If they’re good enough for cakes, they’re good enough for facial hair. Creating an intricate facial hairdo can be managed by careful grooming of the length of your beard and moustache. Fluid curves and curls bring the old fashioned moustache twirl to a whole new level… several levels, actually.

Few world records require as much perseverance as the title of having the world’s longest beard. Sarwan Singh is the current record holder, with a beard topping out at over 2 meters in length (7 feet). The longest beard ever? It measured over 5 meters in length (17 feet), but its owner is now deceased. If you’d like to tackle this record, I hope you’re patient, as it will take decades to come even close.

Even animals like to get in on the fun, as they proudly display their own facial hair. Who could resist a cute kitten with a clearly defined moustache? Without the benefits of styling products, animals aren’t able to get very creative, but mother nature has done it for them – providing lush facial hair with an appeal all its own.

Much like wild beasts clashing horns to achieve dominance, manly men challenge each other each year at the World Beard and Moustache Championships. With giant antlers made of hair, they stare each other down, with length, thickness, and style all taken into account. An elegant moustache or a dominating full beard explosion… which would you choose?